Lady

Lady (plural Ladies)

1. An aristocratic title for a woman.

   Coordinate terms: Lord; Dame; Sir

   • 1931, The Bee Hive, volume 50, number 5, page 16, column 1:

     Honor guests were Ladies Smith and Walker of Port Huron, Michigan. Lady Walker has been a Maccabee for 40 years.

   1. Used with a surname or the name of a peerage, for a peeress in her own right (other than a duchess), or the wife (or widow) of a peer (other than a duke).

      Would Lady Macbeth care for dessert?

      • 1892, Oscar Wilde, “Act I”, in Lady Windermere's Fan […] ‎^[1]:

        How do you do, Lady Windermere?

   2. Used with a surname, for the wife (or widow) of a knight or baronet.

      Sir John Smith and Lady Smith accompanied the ambassador.

      • 1818, Jane Austen, Persuasion:

        Lady Russell was most anxiously zealous on the subject, and gave it much serious consideration. […] Herself, the widow of only a knight, she gave the dignity of a baronet all its due;

   3. Used as a courtesy title with the woman’s given name, for a daughter of a duke, marquess, or earl.
      • 1930, Dorothy Sayers, Strong Poison:

        He would feel that the mere idea of hearing a butler announce ‘Chief-Detective-Inspector and Lady Mary Parker’ would have something shocking about it.

   4. Used with her husband’s given name, for the wife (or widow) of a man who is the son of a duke or marquess, or the oldest son of an earl.
      • 1937, Dorothy L. Sayers, Busman's Honeymoon:

        ”[…] Excuse me, mum, wot might your married name be?”
        ”Lady Peter Wimsey,” said Harriet, feeling not at all sure that it was her name.

2. (Wicca) A high priestess.

Lady

1. The title for the (primary) female deity in female-centered religions.

   My Lady, will you not take pity on me?

   1. (in particular) The major supernatural figurehead in the Wiccan religion, a triune goddess split into the Mother, Maiden, and Crone.
      • 2002, A.J. Drew, Wicca for Couples: Making Magick Together, page 90:

        ...different stages of life as represented by our Lady as Maiden, Mother, and Crone, as well as our Lord as Master, Father, and Sage.

      • 2003, Carl McColman, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism, page 46:

        The Lord and the Lady Actually, when I say that Wicca is a Goddess tradition, I'm really only telling half of the story.

      • 2004, Aurora Greenbough, Cathy Jewell, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Spells and Spellcraft, page 9:

        The Lady is often thought of as having three aspects: Maiden, Mother, and Crone.

• (religious senses): Goddess

• (antonym(s) of “Wicca”): Lord, Horned God, God

• (Wicca): Lord

• Lord
• Our Lady

• DALY, Daly, Dyal, Lyda, layd, yald

18th century, borrowed from English lady.

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛɪ̯di/, /ˈleːdi/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: La‧dy

Lady f (genitive Lady, plural Ladys or (dated) Ladies, masculine (noble) Lord or (genteel) Gentleman or Kavalier or Herr)

1. lady, Lady (British noblewoman)
2. lady (genteel woman)

   Synonym: (feine) Dame

• First Lady
• ladylike, ladyhaft
• Ladyschaft

• “Lady” in Duden online